Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani acquitted of 9 cases in TDAP corruption scandal

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani has been acquitted in 9 corruption cases, including the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP).

After the acquittal in these cases Anti-Corruption Court, he has been relieved from 13 of the 26 cases registered against him.

In the hearing, the prosecution failed to prove the allegations, the court, after hearing both parties, released the senate chairman and the other accused in the case. All of them were accused of over seven billion rupees in corruption through fake companies.

These cases were filed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in 2013, after initiating the investigation in 2009, and the accused were included in the challan of the case in 2015.

Talking to the media, the Chairman Senate termed these as political cases, adding that these cases had been in courts for the last 12 years.

He denied the rumours regarding the health of President Asif Ali Zardari and the ongoing speculation of his removal as Head of State.

He added that the decision to join the government will be taken by the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the party and will also decide the new strategy in Punjab.

Moreover, His attorney Farooq H. Naik said that the FIA ​​had filed a total of 26 cases in the TDAP scandal during 2013 and 2014 in which Gillani was accused of taking Rs 5 million as a bribe, but no direct evidence or testimony could be presented.

He clarified that the accusation of taking money was also not made directly, but through a third person.

According to Farooq H. Naik, the court has acquitted Geelani in the first 3 cases of this nature, while now the decision in 9 more cases has also come in his favor.

The appeals in the remaining 14 cases are currently pending in the High Court, where either the records should be sent back or the decisions should be announced as soon as possible, because the cases are not progressing due to a lack of testimony.